The next Disciplinary Review Board meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024 in the Supreme Court courtroom at the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex. To view the live Board proceedings, select "Disciplinary Review Board" under "Administrative Office of the Courts" on the livestream page.
On This Page
The Disciplinary Review Board (DRB) is part of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s attorney discipline process. It reviews all attorney misconduct cases prosecuted by the Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE). After it receives the OAE’s recommendation for discipline, the DRB reviews the entire record of the case. It then makes its own recommendation in the case.
Public Hearings
The DRB holds a public hearing for all cases in which the OAE recommends a sanction greater than admonition. The hearing is public.
View the latest DRB public hearing schedule.
Sanctions
After the hearing, the Board members deliberate and decide whether to dismiss the case or impose a sanction. The sanction for less serious cases could be a letter of admonition, reprimand, or censure. The letter is sent to the attorney and added to their public record. For more serious cases, the sanction could be either temporary suspension or permanent disbarment.
Supreme Court Review
The New Jersey Supreme Court must submit an order confirming each DRB decision. If the DRB recommends disbarment, the Court will review the case. They will hold their own public hearing before deciding on final discipline. Other than disbarment cases, DRB decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
Appeals
The Board reviews appeals from: (a) individuals (grievants) who have filed a grievance against an attorney and who claim that a District Ethics Committee (DEC) improperly dismissed the grievance after an investigation or hearing. R. 1:20-15(e); and (b) from parties to fee arbitration disputes who contend that grounds for appeal exist consistent with R. 1:20A-3(c), after notice of the Fee Arbitration Committee’s (FAC) determination. A Notice of Appeal form must be filed with the Disciplinary Review Board within 21 days from the date of the letter informing parties of the DEC’s dismissal or the FAC’s arbitration determination.
You can file your appeal online using the DRB eFile system. To eFile, register to create an account or use your existing Judiciary credentials to log in.
You may also obtain an appeal form. You must complete and sign the form and mail it to the address shown. Please note, Internet Explorer 11 and Acrobat Reader work best on the forms. If you are using another browser and you are having difficulty opening, filling out, or printing the forms, please click on the link below to see the specific instructions.
IMPORTANT: PDF viewers or readers other than Adobe may not work properly with our fillable pdf files.
To file an appeal from a district ethics committee's dismissal of a grievance in an ethics matter, complete the following form:
Ethics Notice of Appeal Form
Ethics Notice of Appeal Form - for mobile devices
To file an appeal of a fee arbitration matter, complete the following form:
Fee Arbitration Notice of Appeal Form
Fee Arbitration Notice of Appeal Form - for mobile devices
To get a hard copy of either form, call .
Be prepared to give the attorney’s name, ethics district docket number, and date of dismissal or fee determination.Mail completed forms to:
Attention: Appeals Unit
For in-person delivery:
Attention: Appeals Unit
Administrative costs cases are paid by the attorney
The administrative fee is usually between $650 and $2,000 per case. Also, the attorney must cover other expenses such as transcripts, court reporter services, and copy fees. Attorneys who fail to pay the required fees can be suspended or denied reinstatement. A civil judgment also could be filed against them. Fees should be paid by check made out to “Disciplinary Oversight Committee.” Fees also can be paid using eCourts.
Mail the fee to:
Suspended attorneys must petition for reinstatement.
This process is explained in Court Rule 1:20-21. The attorney must file an original and 12 copies of the verified petition with the Board. Two copies also must be served on the Director of the Office of Attorney Ethics. The fee is $750. The check must be payable to “Disciplinary Oversight Committee.”
Mail petition, documentation, and fee to:
Attention: Reinstatement Unit
For in-person delivery
Attention: Reinstatement Unit
Also mail two copies to:
Attention: Director
Annual Reports
DRB Members and Staff
The Board consists of nine members appointed by the Supreme Court. Board members serve without compensation. Three appointees are non-lawyer, public members, customarily one member is a retired judge of the Appellate Division or of the Superior Court; the remaining five members are attorneys.
|
Board Member |
Office of Board Counsel |
|---|---|
| Hon. Mary Catherine Cuff, P.J.A.D. (Ret.) Chair |
Timothy M. Ellis Chief Counsel |
| Peter J. Boyer Vice-Chair |
Nicole M. Acchione First Assistant Counsel |
| Jorge A. Campelo | Barry R. Petersen Deputy Counsel |
| Thomas J. Hoberman | Frances Bowdre Assistant Counsel |
| Steven Menaker | Salima E. Burke Assistant Counsel |
| Remi L. Spencer | Ashley Kolata-Guzik Assistant Counsel |
| Peter Petrou | Nicholas Logothetis Assistant Counsel |
| Eileen Rivera | Alisa H. Thatcher Assistant Counsel |
| Lisa J. Rodriguez | Amy M. Young Associate Counsel |